


At the Night Circus

by elwon



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Anal Sex, Full Shift Werewolves, Hurt/Comfort, Joker is his own warning, Joker is the worst boss ever, Knotting, M/M, Torture, Werewolves, terrible puns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-01
Updated: 2017-12-01
Packaged: 2019-02-09 05:00:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12880677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elwon/pseuds/elwon
Summary: Everyone Dick’s ever spoken to about Joker’s Night Circus has always said ‘No one wants to work there. Only if you’re desperate, and even then, don’t recommend it.’ Dick’s not exactly desperate, but he does badly need a change after injuring his shoulder. Joker’s hiring and Dick still needs to eat.





	At the Night Circus

**Author's Note:**

  * For [empires](https://archiveofourown.org/users/empires/gifts).



Everyone Dick’s ever spoken to about Joker’s Night Circus has always said ‘No one wants to work there. Only if you’re desperate, and even then, don’t recommend it.’ Dick’s not exactly desperate, but he does badly need a change after injuring his shoulder. Joker’s hiring and Dick still needs to eat, so instead of being the headlining aerialist at Haly’s ‘Day Circus’, he’s about to start work as a contortionist for the ‘Night Circus’.

Day and Night Circus are really misnomers though. Haly’s has performances in the evening, the stalls lit up and games and rides with glaring neon signs while the scents of popcorn and hotdogs and freshly fried funnel cakes waft through the night air. Joker’s circus has matinee performances in the early afternoon, catching the more daring visitors. It harkens back to the old style of sideshow, proudly advertises itself as Gotham’s No. 1 premiere freakshow. 

During the day, the entrance to Joker’s Night Circus is nothing anyone would blink twice at on Amusement Mile. The door is the mouth of a painted clown, open wide to let people walk in and about freely. At night, however, the eyes light up and it takes on a distinctly creepy feel. Which is, of course, the idea. Haly’s clowns are bright, friendly and funny. Joker’s clowns have taken the creepy vibe of Pennywise and run with it. They’re deliberately, grimy, creepy and malicious. It sets the tone all too well for the darker, edgier type of circus.

Dick walks through the usual hustle and bustle of any backstage area, to his shared changing room. He’s sharing it with Jason Todd, which was a surprise to him. Scruffy little Jason Todd who used to work for Haly’s as a stagehand. The seventeen year old had been as strong as five men and had become part of the family. Dick hadn’t seen the werewolf for years, not since the last time that the Unregistered police unit had come through Haly’s looking for any unregistered shifters. Pop Haly had taken them the long way around the circus, giving Dick just enough time to run and find Jason and warn him. Jason had escaped with his bag of clothing and essentials with minutes to spare. 

Jason’s not so little anymore, he’s taller than Dick now, but if anything he’s scruffier. He’s still got the same dark hair contrasted with a shock of white falling over his temple, but his hair looks coarser and longer, hanging just over the pointed tips of his shifter ears and hiding them from view. His jaw’s squarer too, covered in stubble, and he’s finally grown into his large hands and feet. He looks like he should be a football player with his height and bulk, but it’s been a long time since werewolves were allowed to compete professionally.

When Dick had seen Jason for the first time in years, yesterday while he was being given the usual introductory tour by Ms. Quinn, it had been a relief, loosening a small knot of worry deep in Dick that he’d forgotten was there. Jason had seemed just as pleased to see him, giving Dick a quick and relaxed hug before he’d had to run off to perform.

Today, Jason’s sitting at his changing table, reading a book and looking utterly absorbed by it. Dick says a quick hello, checking that his glitter and makeup are on his dressing table as they should be, and then looks around for his costume for the night. Ms. Quinn had told him she’d leave it on his chair and Dick can’t see anything there but a pair of way too small for him panties. They’re an electric blue see through mesh that will show _everything_. Dick doesn’t want to think about what’ll be on view when he does the splits. Dick picks them up and really hopes that this is just a mess with the new guy joke.

“Ms. Quinn said that I’m supposed to tell you that yes, that’s really your costume.” Jason says, not looking up from his book, his voice is more growly than usual, and Dick thinks it’s due to the upcoming full moon.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Dick sighs, trying the waistband of the panties and finding they stretch more than he thought they would. He strips off his clothes and pulls the panties on. They only just cover everything and Dick feels uncomfortably exposed as he checks himself in the mirror. All of his acrobat’s muscles are on show, but compared to Jason sitting behind him, Dick looks lithe and light, ready to fly off with a shake of his inky black hair. “I’m going to get arrested for indecent exposure!”

“They ain’t that bad, Dickiebird.” Jason pulls his head out of his book and glances at Dick. He tenses up, stilling unnaturally. His nostrils flare as he stares and his eyes flash from blue-green to red for a bare second before Jason resolutely forces his gaze up at the ceiling. “Alright, maybe they are. This is why no one wants to work here. The sexual harassment.”

***

Dick walks into the room set aside for him to perform in. It’s empty, walls bare and plain with only a podium in the middle of the room. The podium itself is four foot wide and six foot long and almost four foot high, just wide and long enough for Dick to do most of his routine. The room is heated to help keep Dick’s muscles warm and relaxed, with blue lighting to match his ‘costume’. 

Dick hops up on the podium, stretching out to warm up, raising his arms over his head. His shoulder pulls slightly so Dick spends some extra time loosening it up before the first of the crowd arrives. Dick had injured his left shoulder tumbling off his motorbike at forty miles an hour after skidding on some black ice, and while it had mostly recovered, if he tries to take all his weight on that arm on the trapeze, his fingers will start to go numb and eventually he’ll lose his grip on the bar. This, obviously, is not something he wants to happen forty feet in the air. At least on the ground if he’s resting all his weight on his left arm, he can switch to a position less aggravating to his shoulder with no effort.

Dick finishes stretching and folds down onto his knees to wait for the customers. Soft music begins playing over the speakers. A couple of people wander in and Dick smiles, leaning back until he’s lying on his back, hands above his head, pushing up into a kneeling bridge and holding the pose. A few more people wander in and Dick kicks up into handstand. It’s easy to transfer his weight to just his right arm and lift his left out parallel to the floor.

Dick spreads his legs, one in front of him and one behind, until his back foot is touching the podium. He pushes up, swinging his other leg back to move into a standing bridge, walking his hands back to touch his heels in the most extreme hairpin he can manage. Dick goes back onto his hands, flipping his legs over his head to stand straight. He slides his leg forward, slipping down into another front split, bending forward until his forehead is touching the podium. Dick reaches back, lifting his back leg until his fingers close around his ankle, pulling it down to touch his heel to his spine. He twists his front leg out from under him, letting go of his ankle, then lifting both legs up, moving into a chest stand with both arms extended out behind him. 

One of the crowd reaches out to run his hands along Dick’s legs, so Dick flips off the podium to the ground and lifts a leg up to his shoulder. He spins away from the hands reaching out to him, twisting and twirling, jumping back up to podium to tumble into an elbow stand, pointing his legs straight up. Dick spreads his legs out to the side, holding them in a perfect 180 degree side split, before lowering himself down onto the podium, and pushing up with his arms into a sitting position. 

Dick moves into a twisting split, going from side split to front split to side split again with ease, raising his arms above his head the entire time he twists. He finishes off his routine with a human knot, bringing both of his legs up in front of him to bend them and fold both ankles behind his neck. He smiles once more, waving as the crows claps and filters out into the next room. 

***

Dick flops down into his chair in the dressing room, wiping a towel over his face and chest to wick away the sweat he’d built up over the last show. He’s just pulled on an old loose t-shirt when Jason and Ms. Quinn come in.

“I’m not saying ya did a bad job, Toddy, ya know I love your act! Just that ya coulda been more growly that last time round, is all.” Ms. Quinn says, ever present smile on her face slipping just a bit. “Consider it a suggestion from the management. Mistah J is ever so particular, doncha know?”

“Sure, Harley, I’ll work it in somewhere between breaking my face and back, yeah?” Jason says, rolling his eyes and grabbing a fresh t-shirt.

“That’d be great, hun, yeah.” Ms. Quinn brightens, Jason’s sarcasm going over her head, purely because she’s ducking it so hard. Dick hasn’t really worked out what makes Ms. Quinn tick yet, but of the two managers, she’s supposed to be nicer. “Oh hey, Grayson! Mistah J really liked the tease you worked today, got the punters real riled up before the next act! Good job kiddo.” Harley winks at him before sauntering out of the room calling for Pamela. Dick stares at her retreating form, shaking his head slightly.

“You get used to her eventually.” Jason says, pulling Dick from his thoughts as he runs a heavy duty comb through his thick hair, smoothing it back from face.

“I’m not sure I want to...” Dick turns to look at Jason, just in time to see the werewolf peel off the stretchy shorts he wears for his performances. Dick has enough time to appreciate the solidly thick muscled thighs (Dick might be drooling, but damn, those thighs could kill a man and he’d go happily!) before Jason pulls up his loose boxers and jeans. He glances away feeling his face heat up.

“Harley’s not so bad. Pamela’s ok as long as you don’t hit on her. Selina’s pretty great.” Jason continues, shoving his big feet into some heavy duty motorcycle boots. “Harvey has good days and bad days, so I tend to let him start any conversations. Oswald’s ok, and Waylon keeps to himself. It’s really ‘Mistah J’ you need to avoid.” Jason mimics Ms. Quinn’s nickname for the boss with obvious distaste for the man.

“Is he really that bad?” Dick’s not actually met the man yet. He’s heard a fair few horror stories, but most of those were probably exaggerated, right?

“Worse. So much worse.” Jason scoffs, standing up to shove his wallet and phone into his pockets, and pulling on his leather jacket from its perch on the back of his chair. “So, you fancy grabbing a drink? Or are you too wiped from your first day?” Jason looks almost shy as he asks. It’s adorable and even though Dick is tired, he doesn’t want to pass up the chance to talk to Jason more.

“Sure, let’s go.” Dick says, standing up and grinning, grabbing his own jacket. Jason looks him up and down and smirks, and Dick tries hard not to preen at the attention.

“Do you mebbe wanna put on pants and shoes before we go?” Jason says, grin pulling his lush mouth wide. “I mean, not that I don’t like that look on you, you _really_ rock it, but you did say you thought you’d get arrested earlier...”

Dick looks down at his very bare legs and feet. He’s still wearing the mesh panties. His t-shirt is barely covering his namesake, and the blush that was threatening earlier now takes over his whole face.

“Uh, two minutes, and I’ll be fit for the general public.” Dick groans out from behind the hand he raises to his heated face.

“Take your time, I’m enjoying the view.” Jason replies, leaning against the wall, openly watching as Dick slides the mesh panties off and turns to grab his clothes. Dick can’t stop himself from wiggling his ass as he bends over, and when he hears Jason laugh, he smiles in triumph.

***

Dick has nothing better to do on his day off than sit around his tiny, poky apartment and the thought of doing nothing makes his skin crawl, so he gets off his lumpy couch and goes for a walk. His feet take him to the Night Circus without his meaning to. He walks through the giant clown’s mouth entrance, and Ms. Quinn waves him in with a smile when he walks up to the counter to pay. The Night Circus is set up as a series of rooms all connected by open doors, with most of the rooms open to wander around and mingle with the performers. 

The first room Dick comes into, the room that he usually performs in, is today hosting Selina Kyle, the Catwoman. Her act is much like Dick’s, a mixture of acrobatics and contortionism. Unlike Dick, however, Selina uses a whip attached to the ceiling to help with her poses and motions. Swinging around the room clad in a leather vest and shorts, smiling as she reaches out to scratch at the punters with her metal clawed gloves. Dick watches and admires her skill as she twists in the air, legs in splits as she holds onto the handle of her bullwhip. She brings her legs down to rest on the central podium, the balls of her feet pressing lightly on the surface as she leans back into a backbend, hands flat on the podium scant inches from her heels. Selina kicks into a hand stand, winking at Dick with that Cheshire cat smile firmly on her face. Dick’s familiar enough with the type of routine that she does from his own work, that he decides not to wait and see the full sequence of moves. So he smiles and waves as he moves into the next room.

***

The next room holds Harvey “Two-Face” Dent; the entire room is decked out to fit Harvey’s aesthetic, half of the room in antique gold and deep black and rich red, like something out of a period drama or horror movie, sumptuous in its gothic decadence. The other half is covered in white and silver, the furniture made from light wood, simple and sleek and modern. Two-Face sprawls nonchalantly on a throne, his black and white suit in stark contrast to the dark wood. He’s flipping a coin, again and again, the coin rising high in the air before it descends, turning over and over as Harvey stares out at the crowd, expression flat and bored. Harvey stands, delicately offering his right hand to one of the ladies and bringing it to his mouth to kiss it, smirking widely when her boyfriend can’t settle on being disgusted or amused. He flips his coin from his scarred left to his right, twisting unexpectedly away to throw a punch that doesn’t connect at a punter who’d whispered something unsavoury to his companion with his left hand. He leaps up to stand on his throne, inviting all present to bet on the next flip of his coin. Dick slinks out quietly to the next room before he can hear the terms of the wager. 

***

The third room is Penguin’s room. Oswald Cobblepot’s room is decorated like the Antarctic, with fake glaciers climbing up the walls and a large open pool of water. There’s a distinct chill in the air, complements of one of the stage hands, Victor. Oswald sits on a glacier, his pet penguins dipping in and out of the water as they please. Oswald doesn’t put on a show as such, he lets the audience wander around, watching as he joins his pets in the pool and eats raw fish with them, playing up his birdlike looks and the deformities he was born with. He snaps and almost quacks at anyone who gets too close to the birds for their comfort, thoroughly enjoying making them jump and pull back. Oswald’s king of his little domain and he won’t allow any disrespect to him or his minions. Dick thinks the penguins are cute and throws a couple of fish to them, watching them swallow them whole, and fighting amongst themselves for the few that didn’t immediately land in one of their beaks. Oswald catches his eye and Dick receives a curt nod from him. 

***

Room four is where Pamela Isley, Poison Ivy, works. Her room is a leafy paradise; the floor is laid to dirt and leaves, allowing all manner of plants to grow. Ivy’s woven a hammock of vies across her room, and she drapes herself across it, swinging idly as she waits to ‘entertain’ the visitors. Her red hair falls across her face, hiding her green skin from view as she trails her fingers across the flowers and leaves growing all around her. Dick settles towards the back of the crowd as Ivy waits for the room to fill. She rises from the hammock once she’s judged that there are enough people watching. She raises her hands, fluttering pollen and glitter as she gestures around the room, before bringing her hands together in front of her. The plant by her feet pulses, growing rapidly until a waist height bush fills the space between her and the crowd. Pale yellow flowers unfurl from the bush to the hushed but awed murmurs of the crowd. Ivy returns to her hammock, smirking as one branch from the bush extends out to a pretty young lady, a single hot pink flower blooming out and dropping from the branch into the young woman’s hand, making her blush. 

***

Unlike the rooms before it, room five is sectioned off with a large glass partition. The atmosphere of the previous rooms was one of curiousity with a pervading sense of creepiness that increased as you went through them. Killer Croc’s room is different, full of menace and danger and nothing says that better than the safety partition. (Of course, Waylon Jones has so far been nothing but polite and helpful to Dick behind the scenes.) Waylon’s the closest thing that the Night Circus has to a strong man; the room behind the glass is half tank of water and half ‘rock’ outcroppings, playing up Waylon’s likeness to a crocodile. 

Waylon swims to the front of the tank, emerging from the gloom of the dark water and slamming his hands against the side of the tank. He propels himself out of the water to land on one of the rocks and picks up the whole side of a pig that’s been left there. Waylon digs into the meat with his claws and rips through the ribs of the pig, using his powerful jaws to rip the head of with relish, staring out into the crowd as if to say ‘this could be you, be glad you’re that side of the glass.’ There are gasps and shocked moans, some of the crowd escaping into the next room while a braver few remain. One particularly brave (or is that stupid?) man moves in to the glass and puts his on it. Waylon snarls and slams his hands on the glass, pushing his head up to the barrier and licking it slowly, showing off the scraps of raw meat caught in his teeth. The man jerks back, pushing his way out of the room, red faced and panting.

***

The final room of the tour around the sideshow is the one with Jason in it. He’s behind a glass barrier too, sitting on a low bench that’s bolted to the floor against the back wall of the room. Jason’s barefoot, in a simple pair of black pants (Dick knows they tear away – if they didn’t Jason would be going through multiple pairs of pants a night – and no one has the budget for that) and a plain white t-shirt. Jason waits until the entire group is in the room, and then the door connecting his room to Waylon’s slides shut, with a deliberately loud thud. 

Jason rolls his head, cracking the vertebrae, before he does the same with his shoulders, minus the noise. He tilts his head to the side, closing his blue-green eyes as he tilts it the other way, opening his eyes to reveal glowing red irises. He stands and stalks forward a pace or two, and there’s no other word for the way he moves, it’s stalking, the movement of a large predator beast tracking its prey. He flexes his arms out, spreading his fingers as his fingernails turn into claws. He opens his mouth, his fangs dropping down, white and shining in the lights of the room. 

Jason reaches up and back, pulling his t-shirt over his head and carelessly throwing it back behind him. Dick’s not as familiar with the muscles of Jason’s body as he’d like to be, but he’s sure that Jason’s biceps weren’t as thick or solid yesterday in the dressing room. His abs weren’t that clearly defined, his torso and waist seemed thinner, even his thighs look bigger. Jason rolls his shoulders again as light black fur ripples up his arms and down his chest, covering visible inch of skin. Even his face gets a short coating of fur, his ears extending so that the pointed tips that are always present are now proud of the crown of his head. 

There’s a cracking noise, the bones of Jason’s face breaking and reforming into a muzzle, tongue lolling out the side as his breath pants out in puffs, visible in the cold air of the room. He rolls his head again, and there’s another cracking noise as his arms drop down in front of him, his shoulders contorting and dislocating as his they shift. Jason drops down onto his knees, hands resting on the floor as he bends down. His pants tear off, dropping unnoticed to the ground as Jason’s pelvis breaks and tilts to a position more suited to four legs. His feet have elongated, toes now also tipped with vicious heavy claws, meant for traction and tearing into the ground as he runs at high speed.

Jason twists, jack-knifing with a horrendous howl as his spine breaks with under the force of the stress of shifting, reforming painfully slowly, each knob of bone visibly moving under his fur. Jason kneels there, in the bare room, panting as the transformation halts. He’s the wolfman of nightmares, a monster standing seven foot or taller, the apex predator taken to its highest point, the body of a peak athlete with the head and mind of a wolf. It’s terrifying and breathtaking to Dick, caught up in the wonder of the shift. Jason howls, head thrown back, low and mournful. It’s the call of a wolf searching for his pack, and Dick can feel his heart seize and stop painfully in sympathy. Jason’s head swings toward Dick, glowing red eyes zeroing in on him. Dick’s breath catches in his throat, and he wants nothing more than to reach out and touch Jason, to see if that fur is as soft as it looks.

Jason pounces forward, slamming against the glass. Someone in the crowd screams, fear overloading sense in the face of something so primal and powerful. His claws scratch against the surface of the safety glass, and for a heart stopping second Dick thinks it might shatter. The lights go out. Someone else screams loudly. Dick thinks it might be the man who ran from Waylon. The exit door swings open, and there’s a rush to get into the light and away from the monster. Dick’s left alone in the room when the lights come back on. Jason’s standing by the glass, and Dick would swear there’s amusement all over his lupine face.

“Hey Dickie, enjoy the show?” Jason growls, voice a little slurred and gruff through the muzzle and teeth. 

“It was amazing.” Dick smiles, and Jason huffs, shoulders relaxing as much as they can in that state. “How much for a private show?”

“Why Mr. Grayson, how terribly forward of you.” Even Jason’s laugh is growly, and Dick likes the sound. “I’d say you hafta talk to the management, but I think we can come to an arrangement.”

“I’ll bring dinner.” Dick offers, knowing that Jason wants to try a new Chinese place that’s just around the corner from Dick’s place from an earlier conversation.

“Are you gonna wear a red hoodie too? Because I might hafta make that part of my payment...” Jason lets his tongue loll out further and Dick gets the distinct impression that Jason’s being perverted for the sake of it. Although, on the other hand it is entirely possible he has a Little Red Riding Hood fetish. God knows there’s enough werewolf porn out there based on the story. Not that Dick’s watched all of them. Just most of them. For research purposes only, of course. If he happens to have a folder on his laptop full of nothing but Red Riding Hood films, well that’s nobody’s business but Dick’s. 

“I could be persuaded.” Dick says, grinning wide. He really does love having a werewolf for a boyfriend. “But we’ll have to talk terms later, Jay, Ms. Quinn’s giving me a look for holding up the tour.”

***

It’s ‘Hardcore Night’ at the Night Circus, as it always is on the night of the new moon. Dick isn’t really supposed to be there tonight, but he’s snuck in through the performer’s entrance to watch. The sideshow booths that Dick’s more familiar with are all closed up, leaving only the largest theatre open. It’s dark and dim, lit only by the small spotlights in the floor as Dick creeps along the hall to the now full theatre. Dick can only find standing room right at the back, so he leans against the wall and waits for the show to start.

A spotlight turns on in the middle of the stage, highlighting Jason, who’s stripped to the waist and wearing tight black leather pants, and tied wrist and ankle to a frame. Jason’s blindfolded, head held high and facing the crowd while the bright light stays focused on him. There are appreciative murmurs, and Dick feels a little torn, agreeing with general sentiment but also feeling a little protective, or is that possessive? Dick feels concerned seeing Jason tied up, as far as he’s aware, Jason isn’t an escapologist. There’s really only one other reason that Jason would be tied up like some sort of BDSM fantasy, and Dick’s stomach lurches unpleasantly.

The spotlight pulls back, showing more of the stage and revealing the frame’s base, a turntable to allow a full rotation of view. Selina steps onto the stage, also in tight black leather pants, a lacy black corset and gloves, bullwhip looped around her waist. She smiles wickedly at the audience and places a hand on the frame, shoving roughly at it so that Jason’s turned to the side. Selina uncoils her whip, flicking it out expertly with a crack. A hush falls over the theatre, and Selina raises the whip again, lashing it against Jason’s back, leaving a red welt and a trickle of blood. Jason grunts a little, flexing his hands to grab at the frame to steady himself. 

Dick grips his biceps in an attempt to stop himself from shooting forward and ripping Jason away from the frame as Selina continues to strike at Jason. Dick looses track of how many times she hits Jason, but by the time she stops, his back is a mess of cuts and blood and Dick feels nauseous. The rest of the crowd, however, is delighted. There are catcalls of “Do it harder, sweetheart!” and “Make him scream!” Selina ignores all of them and simply twists the frame around to show off Jason’s back better. She gives the frame a good shove, letting it spin and spin as she slinks off stage and the spotlight tightens in on Jason.

Dick bites his lip, wanting to leave but unwilling to go without Jason. He keeps his eyes on Jason until there’s a rustling of leather and Selina’s standing next to him, with a pitying look on her face. Dick looks over to her and she places a hand on his shoulder.

“You really shouldn’t be here, honey. It’s only going to get worse from now on.” Selina says, as if Dick can imagine anything worse than he’s already seen tonight. “This is why no one wants to work here. Your boy up there, he didn’t want you to see him like this.”

Dick opens his mouth to say he wishes he’d listened, but a loud drum roll echoes through the room and the Joker arrives on stage.

“And now folks, the show you’ve been waiting for! Let’s show our appreciation to our very own kitty for warming up our boy here, with our cold hard cash!” Joker laughs hysterically and Dick feels his heart sink. “Now then, what’ll it be tonight, hmmm? Any suggestions?”

“Ten for the hammer!” a deep voice calls out from the dark.

“Twenty for electrocution!” another, younger, voice adds.

“Thirty for waterboarding!” a woman yells, and Dick can’t believe his ears.

“Forty for the saw!” There’s laughter all around the theatre as Joker holds out a thumbs down for that suggestion.

“Fifty for the crowbar!” another deep voice calls out.

“Done! Fifty thousand dollars for the crowbar. What an exceptional suggestion, I knew you were my favourite for a reason, Steve.” Joker giggles hysterically, walking over to a table just outside of the spotlight, picking up the crowbar and making his way over to Jason. He runs the cold metal bar down Jason’s abused back, grinning evilly as Jason shudders in pain. Joker twists the frame holding Jason around so that he’s facing the audience once more. Joker pulls the crowbar back and smacks it firmly into Jason’s stomach. The crowd yells in glee. 

Dick has to look away. He can hear the dull thuds of the crowbar meeting Jason’s flesh. There’s a wet cracking sound and Jason makes a muffled whine deep in his throat. Selina’s arm comes up around Dick’s shoulders and she pulls him into her arms. Dick closes his eyes and hates himself for needing comfort when Jason’s the one in pain. There’s a wet sucking sound and then Dick hears something ripping. Jason makes a high pained noise and it’s all he can take. 

Dick pushes away from Selina and blindly runs out of the theatre, stopping only once he gets to his dressing room and collapsing into a chair. He holds his head in his hands and tries not to sob at the thought that Jason goes through this once a month.

*** 

Selina finds him still in the dressing room.

“Hey, show’s over and your boy’s asking for you. You coming?” Selina says, standing in the doorway, not even trying to offer any comfort. Dick looks up, eyes dry and sore and blinks at her for a long second.

“Yeah, I’m coming.” Dick stands up, his whole body feeling heavy as he trudges after Selina. She leads him to the small infirmary that Dick never realised was backstage. 

Jason’s lying on a gurney, wounds barely begun to heal, thanks to the effects of the new moon on werewolves. They lose most of their strength and healing, although by the time the sun rises the next morning they’re back to full strength. Jason’s right eye is blue and swollen, eyelid sealed shut by the puffiness. There’s a nasty cut on his forehead that’s dripped blood down the whole left side of his face, and there’s only been the most cursory attempts to wipe it away. Dick can’t tell what state the rest of his body’s in as Jason’s covered by a blanket from foot to throat. From the ginger way he’s holding his arm and the angle his right foot is laying at, Dick suspects both his forearm and ankle are broken.

“Hey.” Dick says, voice quiet and small as he reaches out hesitantly for Jason’s hand.

“Hey.” Jason’s voice is hoarse, and Dick doesn’t want to think how much Jason has ripped his throat up to sound like that. “Thought you were at home tonight?” Jason squeezes Dick’s hand gently.

“I... was curious. You kept on not telling me about tonight. I figured I’d come check it out myself.” Dick chokes on his words a little, trying to keep his voice steady. “Kind of regretting it now.”

“Yeah. Didn’t really think you’d want to see that.” Jason swallows hard and dry and Dick pulls his hand away to get him some ice chips from the nightstand next to the gurney.

“I couldn’t watch it. It was awful, the worse thing I ever had to watch. I don’t know how you could put yourself through that.” Dick says, slipping an ice chip or two between Jason’s lips.

“I get how you feel, Dickie, I really do. But I get paid ten thousand dollars for one night’s work. I can’t turn that down.” Jason sighs, shifting under the blanket and Dick watches as the cut on his forehead gets smaller right before his eyes. It must be getting close to dawn if his healing’s kicking in. 

“You can’t turn that down because Joker won’t let you or because you need the money?” Dick blurts out, not sure which of those options is worse. 

“Fuck, Dickie... Yeah ok, Joker paid for me to register and I owe him for that, but honestly? He gets his money’s worth from me. You think those tickets last night were less than eight hundred dollars? ‘Cause I can tell you, they weren’t.” Jason thumps his head back into the thin pillow, as the bruise of his eye turns yellow and reduces in size. “Times that by forty for the disgustingly rich sickos that like to watch, plus the auction? It’s easy money for everyone.”

“God, I don’t even know what to say to that.” Dick groans, reaching out to take Jason’s hand again. His mind’s whirling a mile a minute. Dick doesn’t think the money is worth Jason getting hurt like that.

“Look at me, I’m fine. Werewolf healing means I don’t have a single scar on me. Yes, it hurt, but honestly, I’m fine.” Jason squeezes Dick’s hand again, reaching out with his other hand from underneath the blanket to cup the side of Dick’s face.

“You’re fine, but that was a nightmare. You’re fine, because you get paid ten thousand dollars.” Dick leans his face into Jason’s hand.

“Yeah, yeah I am.” Jason says, voice sure and clear. It seems like his throat has healed. Jason shifts under the blanket, rolling onto his side and sitting up, cut on his forehead and the bruised eye completely gone as well. Dick’s pretty sure the broken bones are healed by now too.

“I don’t think I really believe that. I don’t think you believe that.” Dick says, closing his eyes as Jason moves towards him to rest their foreheads together. “I’m not sure I want to work here anymore.”

“Well, you know what they say. There’s a reason no one wants to work here. It’s ‘cause the boss is a fucking psycho.” Jason grins, and while Dick needs to think seriously about whether to continue performing for the Night Circus, meeting Jason again is something he can’t ever regret. 

***

Dick sighs heavily as he sits down at his dressing table at work. Compared to Jason’s dressing table, which has only a comb with metal tines and a jumbo canister of extra large wet wipes, his table is mess, covered in pots and tubes and make up brushes, a box of tissues taking up one corner. He finds the foundation out of all the other tubes, he picks it up and begins to smooth it across his face with the sponge, and once it’s prepared, he picks up the pot of glitter and coats the brush heavily to stroke it across his cheekbones and once again for his eyelids. He finishes his eyes off with a thick dramatic sweep of pure black eyeliner. 

Yesterday, one presumptuous and entitled audience member had grabbed and pulled his hair, and Dick has no intentions of letting it happen again, so he picks up the hair gel with extra sparkle and slicks back his dark locks. From the neck up he’s glittering and catching the light perfectly. Dick can’t help but love the effect, even as he feels pulled in so many different directions over working here. 

Dick forces himself to stop thinking about it, eyeing himself in the mirror. He idly runs his hand up and down his bare chest, letting his gaze drop to the top of the dressing table where a bottle of shimmer body spray stands. He picks up the spray, pressing down on the nozzle as he runs it along his bare arms and legs, over his pecs and abs. He preens in the mirror, the blue glitter and shimmer matching his transparent shorts. Jason slouches into the dressing room, heavy boots clunking loudly as thumps into his chair. Jason yanks his boots off, removing and balling up his socks to slide them into his boots. Dick smiles at him in the mirror, and Jason smiles back, eyes flicking up and down Dick’s reflection.

“Need some help with that, Dickiebird?” Jason smirks, standing up to slip his jacket off and hang it over the chair.

“I could use a hand...” Dick trails off seductively, gazing up at Jason through his lashes and lightly biting his lip. Jason steps over to loom over Dick, smiling wolfishly as Dick hands over the shimmer spray. He shakes it suggestively, keeping eye contact with Dick. Dick shivers as Jason starts spraying, his big warm hand following the shimmer down over Dick’s spine and back up to his shoulders. 

“Stand up, I’ll do the backs of your thighs.” Jason says, inching his fingertips down over Dick’s hip, swirling his thumb in small circles. When Dick stands, Jason follows the spray with his hand again, rubbing his scent into Dick’s skin along with the shimmer.

Jason sets the spray down, leaning over Dick to dip his fingers into the pot of glitter. When he straightens up, Jason rests his fingers over Dick’s heart. He drags his fingers up to Dick’s shoulder and down his arm, across his hand and fingers to the electric blue nail polish that Jason had painstakingly applied to Dick’s fingers and toes the night before while they’d lounged around watching terrible werewolf movies, munching on popcorn. 

Jason dips his fingers into the pot of glitter again, dragging his fingers over Dick’s right pec and arm, down to the fingers and Dick shudders, leaning back and resting his head on Jason’s shoulder. The sensation and emotion wells up in Dick, filling his chest to bursting, and all Dick can do to relieve the pressure is exhale shakily. He feels so safe and wanted in Jason’s arms, that when Jason shifts him forward to paint the glitter over his back to match his chest that Dick can barely hold back the moan at the chill of the room without Jason’s body heat.

“Just one last touch...” Jason murmurs into his ear, dipping his finger in the glitter a final time and bringing it up to stroke across Dick’s top lip, and then the lower one, lingering there and for a heartbeat Dick thinks Jason’s going to push his finger inside his mouth. “There we go, baby, you’re all prettied up and ready to fly.” Dick stares at the two of them in the mirror, memorising the picture they make as Dick glitters in the light and Jason’s eyes glow red as his fangs drop down to press against his lip.

“Jason...” Dick breathes, unable to put into words how he’s feeling right now. So instead he reaches up and back, twisting his fingers into Jason’s wiry hair and holding on tightly. Jason’s eyes close and he breathes in deep, taking in Dick’s scent and pressing his lips and teeth to his neck. A rumbling comes up from deep within Jason’s chest, reverberating through Dick’s back until he feels it in his bones.

“I know, Dick.” Jason growls into his skin. “I know. I feel it too.” 

***

They’ve gone through two more new and full moons since the first time Dick saw Hardcore Night. Jason had asked Dick to move in with him before the last full moon and today he’s finally fully moved in to Jason’s surprisingly swanky apartment. Or not so surprising, really, the amount of money he pulls in every new moon on top of his weekly earnings, he can afford somewhere nice. 

Not only somewhere nice to live but also a big powerful red Ducati 1098s motorbike that Dick covets badly. Dick had teased him for buying Italian and not American made, but Jason had shrugged and said he valued performance and speed over brand loyalty. Jason’s taken him for rides on it, but it’s not the same as owning one, and despite all the jokes that write themselves over Dick’s predilection for powerful things between his thighs, Jason’s only ever quirked an eyebrow over Dick openly lusting and drooling over his bike. That same bike that Jason’s planning on escaping on for the full moon. 

Jason keeps disappearing on the full moon, almost as if he’s afraid to let Dick see him fully shifted. Which is somewhat ironic, considering that Dick desperately wants to see it. So when Jason comes out of the kitchen with a duffle bag full of steak, ready to go and hide somewhere Dick can’t even imagine, Dick decides enough is enough.

“Going somewhere?” Dick says idly, trying to maintain a casual appearance even though he feels slightly hurt that Jason doesn’t want to share his transformation with him.

“Out for the night.” Jason hefts the bag on his shoulder, idly checking that his phone is in his pocket and that he has emergency cash.

“You don’t have to go, you know.” Dick bites his lip, hoping that all Jason needs is the request to stay to actually stay. “If you’re worried about me seeing, well, I’m not going to freak out. If I can sort of handle Hardcore Night, I think I can manage a full moon...”

“It’s not that. It’s just...” Jason sighs heavily, rubbing the back of his neck. “I haven’t changed in front of anyone. Ever. It’s not you... I just, I don’t know, it’s kinda personal, I guess? It’s hard to explain.”

“You’re not worried about hurting me then, it’s just private?” Dick wonders if he should push for Jason staying or not now. 

“I’m still me, Dick. Whether I’m a wolf or like this, it’s just me. Only talking is harder, obviously.” Jason tries for an amused grin and doesn’t quite pull it off. “I wouldn’t hurt you, baby.”

“Which is, believe me, very reassuring, but now I feel guilty about pushing you out of your uh... den?” Dick’s going to offer once more, and then drop it, he decides. “I’d like it if you stayed. I could keep to the bedroom and give you privacy, if it helps?”

“I... OK for starters, I don’t call it a den, yeah? And I don’t wanna push you into hiding in the bedroom.” Jason scratches at the tip of his pointed ear with nails that are longer than usual. “How about... if you don’t make any comments at all about it, I’ll stay?”

“Yes! I’ll be as quiet as I’ve ever been. Promise.” Dick smiles, relieved. He’s going to be the first person to see Jason fully shift, and that means so much to him, he can’t even put it into words.

“Dickie, for anyone else that’s not quiet at all.” Jason smirks, a hint of fang pressing against his lip. “If you didn’t smell so damn good right now, I probably would be out the door already.”

“Rude. But accurate.” Dick agrees. He can’t help it, being chatty is part of his charm. “But really, Jay, thank you. This means the world to me.” 

Jason huffs heavily instead of replying but Dick can see him smiling as he turns away and drops the duffle bag on the floor and stalks off back into the bedroom. When he comes back out, barefoot and only in an old pair of threadbare boxers, Jason gives Dick a significant stare and fur begins to ripple over his body, teeth elongating and eyes glowing red. Dick leans against the back of the couch as Jason shifts, far more quickly than he ever does at work. It takes bare seconds for Jason to be crouched down on all fours, nails turned into claws and muzzle lengthening all the way out. There’s still a few wet cracking sounds of broken bones, but Jason doesn’t even seem to notice them. By the time Jason’s fully transformed into a wolf, the whole process has taken less than a minute and Jason’s old boxers are in shreds on the floor. 

Jason licks his muzzle, yawning loudly and Dick can only stare in amazement at how large and magnificent Jason is like this. On all fours, Jason still reaches Dick’s chest, and from tip to long bushy tail he’s longer than the couch. Dick reaches out and runs the tips of his fingers along the top of Jason’s head. His fur is rougher than his hair, but since there’s more of it, it feels softer somehow. Mostly black, with his underside a dark grey, and a few lighter grey patches on his feet, the only spots of colour on him are a white stripe beginning at his temple reaching to the back of his head and the red of his eyes.

“Damn, Jay, you’re amazing.” Dick breathes out. “I can’t believe you didn’t want me to see this.” 

Jason twitches an ear and turns on the spot as best he can in the living room. He pads over to the floor to ceiling bay window, nose touching the glass of the window and fogging it up. The floor by the bay window is covered in cushions and pillows but otherwise empty of furniture. Jason turns away from the window, curling up on the cushions and tucking his nose under his tail and falling asleep.

“Really? You could do anything right now, and you want to nap?” Dick snorts and shakes his head, amused. While staring at Jason in his wolf form is entertaining for a while, eventually Dick needs something else to keep himself occupied. He ends up watching a 1930’s German version of the Norse myth of Fenris from the wolf’s point of view, it’s slow and packed with dialogue, but it has subtitles so he can turn the volume down low and not bother Jason.

Honestly, it’s a little boring and Dick ends up dozing through the last third, waking up to see a rather unpleasant scene of the wolf being lynched and Dick reaches out to slap the remote, turning the tv off as quickly as he can. He leans back on the expansive couch, staring up at the ceiling and the reflections from the bowl of water holding the floating candles that Selina gave them as a housewarming present that’s found a home on the coffee table. A snuffling noise from behind him startles Dick, and he realises that Jason is behind the couch, pulling the steaks out of the bag. Dick hadn’t even heard him move, which considering the size of those claws on the nice hardwood floors they have is surprising. 

Jason’s freed the steaks and wolfs them down within moments, each of the steaks taking only a bite or two before he’s swallowed them. Jason pads around the apartment, first into the bathroom and then the kitchen before coming back into the living room, apparently not finding what he was looking for. Dick watches bemused as the huge wolf moves around the furniture with ease. Jason ends up sitting by the coffee table and fixes Dick with a look he can’t interpret. Jason huffs and then huffs again blowing out the candles, before gently lowering his tongue down into the water, lapping at it slowly.

“Oh man, I guess we didn’t think to get you a dog bowl for that, huh?” Dick tries not to grin at the sight of Jason drinking the candle water. Jason turns his head and stares balefully at him. Done drinking, Jason stands, moving closer to Dick and pushing his nose at Dick’s thigh. Dick moves his hand up, thinking that Jason wants to be petted, when, quicker than Dick was expecting, Jason moves, closing his jaw down on Dick’s hand. With his teeth clamped gently around Dick’s wrist, Jason starts walking, pulling Dick after him. 

“You know, my hand is not a leash?” Dick says plaintively. “You can let go, I’ll follow.” Jason however ignores this, dragging Dick over to the pile of pillows under the big bay window. He pulls him down into the pillows, and Dick shrugs and curls up like Jason apparently wants him to. Dick thinks he might need a blanket, but then Jason curls up protectively around him and the heat that he’s putting out is more than enough to keep Dick warm. Up this close, Jason really is something. Dick keeps his eyes on him until he can’t keep them open anymore.

***

Dick blinks his eyes open, warm and comfortable despite the large hard cock pressed against his thighs. He shifts slightly, pressing back until he hears Jason growl in his sleep. Sometime since the moon went down Jason’s shifted back into his human form, and Dick’s wrapped in his arms quite contentedly.   
“Stop squirming or I’m gonna do something we’ll both regret.” Jason yawns into Dick’s ear, voice rough from sleep.

“Who says I’ll regret it?” Dick smiles widely, teasing Jason because he always responds so well.

“You will. Once I hurt you. So quit it.” Jason grumbles, sticking his nose into the hair at the nape of Dick’s neck and inhaling the scent there.

“You haven’t hurt me all night. Why do you think you’ll hurt me now?” Dick turns to look over his shoulder at Jason.

“Full moon. Wolf knots. Lack of control. Fragile human body parts. Doesn’t exactly add up to fun times for all.” Jason hooks his chin on Dick’s shoulder to nose at his cheek.

“I’ve done this before you know, didn’t get hurt then, you won’t hurt me now.” Dick points out, sighing. “You’ve knotted someone before right?”

“Yeah, but not with a guy or a human guy, either.” Jason looks unsure, but it’s obvious that he wants to, and not just from the hot hard bar of him pressed against Dick’s leg.

“We’ll be fine, Jay.” Dick says, sure about it. “Come on, we both want to. Let’s do it.” Jason still looks unsure, and he pulls back from Dick to stand up, making for the bedroom. “Hey, where are you going?”

“Lube, Dickie. You need it.” Jason huffs, nervousness replaced with humour.

“Oh that. I got it right here.” Dick rolls onto his back and shoves his hand under the cushions and finds the bottle there.

“When did you put that there?” Jason snorts, shaking his head with amusement.

“Yesterday morning. I didn’t think we’d be using it so soon, but oh well!” Dick grins as Jason crawls back onto the pile of pillows and up next to him. Jason looks mostly human, but the red eyes, the tips of his furred ears, the amount of body hair and claws on both hands and feet are proof that he’s still feeling his wolf instincts stronger than he usually does.

“Uh, you OK with doing the prep yourself?” Jason holds up his hands, glancing down at his claws.

“Yeah, those are definitely not going inside me.” Dick snorts, stripping off his t-shirt and sweatpants. “Yeah, I got this.” Dick slicks his fingers up and starts working them in one at a time, not lingering on making himself feel good, because the goal here is to be nice and loose. He can’t help but brush over his good spots every so often though, because as intently as Jason’s watching, every time Dick flexes his fingers, Jason’s flex in sympathy and it sends a little thrill though Dick when he sees it. He’s not as hard as Jason is, but he’s getting there. It’s not until Dick’s got four of his fingers inside him that Jason speaks again.

“God, you really are bendy aren’t you...” Jason breathes out reverently. Dick preens at that, proud that he can make Jason sound so awed.

“You’d know that if you saw my act at work, you know.” Dick gasps out. “I’ve been wondering why you haven’t been by, to be honest.”

“Well, gotta be honest here, baby, seeing you move like that? I dunno how long I’da been able to keep my hands off you. Probably end up fucking you in front of everyone.” Jason says sheepishly, and Dick shudders at the thought, torn between wanting it and flatly refusing to entertain the notion. “Yeah, I know, kinda hot in theory, fucking awful in reality.”

Dick pulls his fingers out, passing the lube to Jason and watching as his boyfriend slicks himself up. Jason pushes at his shoulder and Dick rolls over onto his front easily. Jason gets between his legs, dropping a quick kiss on each of his spread thighs as he scents Dick, inhaling deeply before he drags himself up Dick’s body, kissing the small of his back and up along his spine to his shoulder and the nape of his neck. Jason presses inside Dick and it’s only then that Dick truly appreciates the differences now from usual. Jason’s longer and thicker and not quite as careful as he sheathes himself to the hilt inside Dick.

“Fuck, Dickie, baby, I’m not gonna last long. You feel so good.” Jason gasps, holding Dick’s hips down to the pillows, claws pricking tiny dots into his skin. Jason’s pumping into him smoothly, hitting his prostate with nearly every thrust and Dick can’t help the moans pouring out of him.

“Oh god, fuck me, Jason!” Dick whines, gripping the pillows under him so tightly that his knuckles turn white. “Come inside me.”

“Fuck, Dick!” Jason groans, sounding so close to losing control and Dick wants it. He wants Jason to lose control and take him with that big thick cock until Dick’s mindless with pleasure. 

“Knot me, breed me, god, it feels so good...” Dick moans out, pushing back and clenching down as Jason thrusts in deep.

“Dick, Dick, you need to watch better porn, your dirty talk is...” Jason trails off mid-thrust.

“If it’s working, it’s good...” Dick gasps. “And I can feel it working...”

Jason slides his hands up Dick’s back, under his arms, hands curling around his shoulders to pull him in harder as his knot begins to swell. Against all his body’s instincts, Dick pushes back into it, making sure that Jason’s knot is as deep as it can go. By the time it’s fully swollen, Dick would swear that it’s twice the size he thought it would be as the knot forces his walls to stretch around it. Jason slumps down over him, chest to back and Dick’s never felt so full or surrounded in his life, and he loves it.

Jason rolls them onto their sides, and Dick enjoys the ability to breathe freely for the few seconds he has before Jason starts grinding his knot inside him, trying for constant stimulation on Dick’s prostate. It’s driving Dick crazy in the best way, he can’t get enough, but everything’s a little too much at the same time. It wasn’t like this the last time he took a knot, and to be honest he’s a little relieved that werewolves can only knot on the full moon, because taking this all month would probably kill him.

He wants to come so badly now that he lifts a hand to wrap around his own cock, making a high pitched little noise in the back of his throat as he starts jerking off, involuntarily clenching down on Jason as he does. Jason presses a kiss to his shoulder and wraps a careful hand around Dick’s, claw tips pricking against the back of Dick’s hand as they jerk him off together. Dick comes suddenly, painting his abs with white as the calluses on Jason’s hand tips him over the edge. He’s never felt this good or right before and a tear slips out of his eye as he moans. Dick breathes hard, riding the feeling for as long as he can before his heart begins to slow and lethargy comes over him.

“Mmm, that was fantastic.” Dick mumbles, knowing that Jason’s wolf hearing will catch it no matter how quietly he says it. “Maybe next time I can sit in your lap? I want to see your face.”

“Yeah?” Jason’s voice rumbles right through him, content and sated. “Yeah, baby, whatever you want.”

“Yeah, I’m knot complaining.” Dick grins, feeling a little loopy and joyful.

“Did you just pun at me. Really? Right now?” Jason huffs, nosing at Dick’s ear and pressing the teeth to the lobe to nip at him so tenderly while Dick laughs. “Well, I’m knot complaining either.”

“Wait, did you just pun at me? Really? Right now?” Dick teases, thrilled that Jason’s playing along with his word games.

“I’m sorry, was that knot up to standard? I’m knot used to this.” Jason continues, and Dick can feel his smirk against his shoulder, head ducked down as if that’ll convince Dick that he doesn’t know what he’s doing. It’s not working. 

“Oh my god, I’ve created a monster.” Dick whines, trying to press his face into the pillow to hide just how wide his smile is now. Dick can’t help it. He loves terrible puns and eats banter up like cereal for breakfast.

“Knot what you were expecting?” Jason snorts, pushing a leg between Dick’s and pulling him under him a bit, to settle in for the wait until his knot goes down.

“You know, I could get used to this.” Dick says, clenching down to hear Jason hiss, just because he can. If he’s going to be blanketed by something like two hundred pounds of werewolf boyfriend then he’s going to retaliate the only way he can, which of course, is the best way.

“Mm?” Jason’s questioning noise is cut off by a huge yawn.

“Amazing sex, werewolf cuddles and puns, oh my!” Dick cries out, ignoring Jason’s groan as he misquotes the Wizard of Oz and throws his free arm out to the side dramatically.

“Well, good, I don’t pun for just anyone, yanno.” Jason huffs, reaching up to catch Dick’s wrist and push it down to the pillows, before resting his arm on Dick’s waist.

“I love you too.” Dick says, meaning every word but trying to make it sound casual. Because he really does. Maybe always has.

“Yeah, that.” Jason growls, sounding choked up somewhat, moving his arm under Dick’s neck to curl his hand into Dick’s hair. Dick moves his hand to the arm resting on his waist, lacing his fingers with Jason’s and bringing their hands up to his mouth to press a kiss to Jason’s hand. Jason kisses his neck and shoulders, pressing his teeth in enough to mark but not bleed. Of course Jason’s marking him up. At least it’ll be covered up underneath his ‘costume’. Although if they get any shifters through the audience they’re going to know in a second that Dick’s been marked and claimed just from the way Jason’s scent will cling to him. But really, Dick likes how Jason scents and marks him up possessively like the wolf he is. 

Maybe he doesn’t want to work at the Night Circus, and he certainly wouldn’t recommend it, but meeting Jason again and living with and loving him is definitely more than worth it.


End file.
